I rode Windham in the Catskill Mountains of NY yesterday with some
friends. We had the place all to ourselves. Worked on carving and switch
skills with Trae and Gordon, 2 of the excellent snowboard teaching staff.
Visit these 2 and try their click...click...click... method to make better
turns switch or regular.

Events guy Troy Ketcham gave us a good tour around the hill that he's
been riding since he was a kid. And then... too late... I spotted the
SICKEST RAIL I've ever seen. Not that *I* would ever go near it. But if it
had been earlier I could've watched the Park and Pipe guys hit it. Erich
Knabbe and Mark Leverock maintain their park by constantly testing the
features. Not a terrible job to have.

Anyway, this was an arced rail, the only one of its kind. Think of a
rainbow rail, pulled up in the center to look like a small mountain. Erich
says it's "very technical." Meaning, you better know what you're doing and
how fast to go on that thing, or you'll launch into space.

(Btw, if you want a rail like this for your backyard or whatever, we can
get you in touch with the Rail Genie who welded this piece of art. He also
created an incredible banked-C box that's on the hill along with 8 or so
other rails.)

I'm going back to see what really goes on in Windham's 3 terrain parks.
They are creating child prodigy freestylers. I'll bring back pictures next
time.

I was talking to a guy on the lift recently about my
SnowboardRegistry.com and he told me his board had been stolen the day
before from the resort. AND IT WAS LOCKED when it was stolen. The thief used
a bolt cutter. The board was locked at the "drop off" area. I had locked my
board at the very same place earlier while I parked.

Keep in mind that the "drop off" area at a resort is an active place with
quick getaway potential and be careful about leaving your gear there for
long. The stolen board had been parked for 3 or 4 hours.

Just in the last few days more boards have been reported stolen on the
Registry. All but one of the boards showing as stolen are Burton men's
boards. Missing are 2 Customs, 2 Canyons, and a Baron.

The latest one reported also was locked and had the lock cut and taken. I
used to think locking a board was good enough. Now I don't know what to
recommend. You can't very well carry your board to the bathroom, and you
don't always have a friend there to watch it.

Board theft is a heinous slimy criminal act that we are very sorry to
hear about. Register your board's serial numbers against theft online - free
at our
http://www.SnowboardRegistry.com

And check there before buying a used board to make sure it's not stolen.
You can easily print out a list of stolen boards from the site if you have a
shop and want to keep an eye out for them.

If you come across a board reported as "MISSING" on the Registry, contact
the police, and contact us so we can get you in touch with the owner.

A Maryland 16-year-old has been charged with manslaughter and reckless
endangering, after a fatal collision with a skier at Jackson Hole Mountain
Resort.

According to witnesses, 28-year-old Heather Donahue, of Shrewsbury,
Massachusetts, was skiing slowly on an intermediate slope Thursday, when the
boy collided with her. Witnesses say the boy was going very fast, and that
he had ample room to turn but didn't do so.

The manslaughter charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.